Andy Dufrense in the movie “Shawshank Redemption” said, ”Hope is a good thing, maybe the best of things”. For the first time in a while, Bears fans have a good thing called hope. After multiple blockbuster deals from General manager Ryan Poles,  the Bears have newfound hope and confidence. 

Coming into the offseason, the Bears held the coveted number one pick in a draft that held exciting young QB talent like Bryce Young, CJ Stroud, Will Levis and more. The Bears already have their franchise QB in Justin Fields so they traded their number one pick to the Carolina Panthers who desperately needed a QB. 

The Bears in return got the 9th pick in this year’s draft, two second round picks in the next year’s draft and Wide Receiver D.J. Moore. The 25-year-old star has had more than 1,000 receiving yards in three of his four years at Carolina. Moore is also a deep-threat receiver that posted the 5th highest 20-plus-yard catches of any wide receiver in the 2022 season. He fits perfectly into a Bears offense that is desperate to pair Justin Fields with a talented pass catcher like Moore. The addition of the young receiver adds depth to a very limited WR room with Chase Claypool and Darnell Mooney.

 Days after the Panthers trade, the Bears signed talented linebackers Tremaine Edwards and T.J. Edwards. Tremaine Edwards is a multiple time pro bowler who has led the Buffalo Bills in tackles for the last two years. T.J. Edwards is a former Philadelphia Eagles star who was tied for 7th most solo tackles in the NFL last season.

 But there is still work to do. The Bears have clear priorities in this year’s draft, including drafting an edge rusher and rebuilding the offensive line. In Fields’ young career, he has been under intense pressure in the pocket when the offensive lines have failed to protect him. GM Ryan Poles, who is a past offensive lineman, knows that for a young QB to thrive, he needs a clean pocket to throw. So the Bears will be looking to fix that position in the draft. 

The Bears also need some players who could hit the QB, as the Bears last year were the worst team in the NFL in sacking the quarterback. The Bears can look to fix that problem if they draft Jalen Carter who is a big lengthy defensive Lineman from Georgia who has athleticism and talent that runs off the chart. Though in the past weeks, there has been uncertainty on whether to draft Jalen Carter at number nine after the news broke that he was involved in a car crash that killed a fellow Georgia Bulldog and a team staffer back in January. 

The recent pickups and the many draft picks that the Bears hold should cause a stir of excitement in Chicago. Bear down Bear’s fans, they may finally be back.